Politics with Marc Ambinder

Recently in SpeechRead Category

May 5 2009, 11:51AM

McConnell Attacks Obama's Judicial Philosophy

by Chris Good

McConnell foreshadows the fight to replace Souter, accusing President Obama of slanted views on how to pick a judge. From a floor statement by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell yesterday:
Over the years, there has been a growing tendency among some on the Left to pick or promote judges based on policy and political preferences, and President Obama's past statements on judicial appointments strongly suggest that he shares this view.

As a candidate for President, he said that his criteria for a judicial nominee would be someone who would empathize with particular parties or particular groups. This viewpoint was evident again last week when, in describing a good nominee, the President seemed to stress his or her ability to connect with a particular person or group over and above a judge's traditional role of applying the law without prejudice.

More

Comments (6)

Feb 18 2009, 6:16PM

SpeechRead: Bernanke Defends The Fed

by Marc Ambinder

I've invented the term SpeechRead to refer to my service (or time-killer?) of reading important American political speeches so you don't have to.

 

Read the speech. 

 

Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke chooses to begin his remarks about the American economy with an anecdote about his boyhood hometown in South Carolina, where unemployment is 14%.  Even the Federal Reserve, reserved, impartial, calm, has a heart.  Bernanke calls the economic challenges of our time "extraordinary," in the sense that they are pervasive, largely unforeseen, and usually rapid in making themselves known. Most financial journalists are using that word in their lede stories.  Reading and understanding his speech is helpful for non-specialists like me, and I presume, most of my readers, even if you're inclined to disagree with the particulars.

More

Comments (1)